Fate Knows Best
by Loonyloops
Summary: What if Rittenhouse never existed? What kind of lives would our favorite characters lead? Would they ever meet? This story will answer those questions.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N UPDATED to make a few things make more sense later on.**

Rufus sat at his desk with his headphones in his ears typing away at his keyboard. He was engrossed with the beauty of the physics involved with his newest idea. He jumped when Anthony placed a hand on his back. Anthony chucked at his surprise.

"Anthony, man, you need to have some respect for my heart. You're going to feel bad when I have a heart attack one of these days."

"I would if it wasn't so funny watching you jump. Look, it's nearly two o'clock and I know for a fact you haven't had lunch. Why don't you take a break and grab something to eat. The food trucks are still out there. Take Jiya with you, talk to her. You may be surprised."

Rufus tilted his head, trying to figure out what his boss was actually saying. "Yeah, I think I'll just have a nice quiet meal to myself. I have a lot to think about with this new project and all. Thanks anyway Anthony."

Rufus walked into the sunshine blinking tears from his eyes. After the darkness of the building and staring at his computer screen without a break for nearly six hours his eyes were protesting the brightness of the outdoors. His nose led him to the row of food trucks a block away. There were still several people taking advantage of the trucks services, even this late in the day. He ended up behind two people in line at a truck selling pizza by the slice. He placed his order and found a place in the shade to eat. He thought of what Anthony said about Jiya and wondered why he would be surprised to talk to her.

With a belly full of pizza Rufus made his way back to his computer and the problems waiting for him there. Before he could return to his work Jiya walked by his desk to return to her own. He could not make himself stop staring at her. She gave him a small smile and a wiggle of her fingers as she passed. That was all he ever got from her, and it was the best part of his day. He knew that made him rather pathetic in the dating department. He just did not know see a way around it without actually asking her out on a date.

His day ended when Anthony once again startled him.

"Man, there will be a heart attack one day. Just you wait and see."

"The day's done Rufus. I promised Enid I would bring you home with me so she can fuss over you. Besides, the kids love losing to you when they play video games, but when I win I'm just mean old dad," he said with a smile.

He pulled Rufus up and turned him toward the exit. "I think Enid is making chicken parmesan."

"That's my favorite. Are you sure Enid won't adopt me? My mom won't mind too much."

"I'm positive I don't want to adopt you. Let's go."

Rufus followed Anthony's car towards a good home cooked meal. He was actually looking forward to it. He missed his mom and Enid was the San Francisco-next-best-thing. He knew the price of Enid's mothering would be Anthony's teasing but he could handle that. He knew his boss wanted him to be happy, and he thought asking Jiya out would make that happen. The problem with that was that he was terrified to talk to her. He had no idea if she liked him at all, and it would just make things even more awkward if she said no.

He pulled up to a stop on the street in front of the Bruhl home just as Anthony was getting out of his car. He followed the older man though the front door to the divine smells emanating from Enid's kitchen.

"Look who followed me home," Anthony called.

Enid poked her curious head out of the kitchen. She broke out into a huge smile and their two teenage boys, Kenneth and Jakob looked up from the school books in their laps.

"Hey Rufus," the boys called out.

"Oh, look who decides to stop by. I've been telling Anthony to bring you home for a month now, and when do you show up? On the day that I'm making chicken parmesan, that's when," Enid said with a serious expression that she could not quite hold. "I'm glad you could come Rufus," she said.

She gave up on being stern and smiled as she pulled him into a fierce hug. He was struggling to breathe in Enid's firm grip even as he tried to respond to requests to play video games with the teenagers. Their mother released him to tell them their homework must be complete and thorough before any games would be played.

Supper was not quite ready so Rufus followed Anthony into the living room for a drink. The Bruhl sons settled back to their homework at their father's raised eyebrows and a pointed look toward the kitchen. Rufus accepted the tumbler from Anthony and took a sip as he relaxed into the comfort of the chair. The two men talked quietly about the odds and statistics of the 49'ers season until Enid called them all to the table.

"Rufus," Enid asked as she passed him the salad bowl. "When are you going to ask Jiya out? She is such a sweet girl. The two of you would be perfect together."

He served himself a bit of salad and passed the bowl on as he tried to think of an answer.

"I may have to ask her out for him one day," Anthony joked.

Everyone had a good laugh as Rufus ducked his head and took a bite of chicken. From there the conversation moved on to Kenneth's new girlfriend and the boys' schoolwork. Rufus told them about the new Star Wars theories he had read about recently while Enid regaled the table about her kindergarten students' antics. The evening meal was filled with good food, good conversation, and a feeling of family for Rufus. The youngest two Bruhls were charged with clean up duty when a dessert of brownies and ice cream was finished.

Rufus was a little relieved to not be playing video games with the boys since their homework was not finished. He just wanted to rest his eyes to ward off the headache he could feel growing behind his eyes. The three adults talked while boys cleaned the kitchen, their banter a soothing background noise. Not too long after the kitchen had been declared clean Enid sent Rufus home with leftovers and an admonishment to come by more often.

For the rest of the evening Rufus let the NASA channel play in the background as he talked to his mother on the phone. His brother was playing basketball with friends so they were able to have a nice long talk without the brothers getting sidetracked. He laid on his couch and listened as his mother told him all the gossip from her beauty shop. Her voice soothed him and took him back in time. He worked to stay in that feeling even as he told her all the new rumors that were flying around Mason Industries. He told her about his evening with the Bruhls and their teasing about Jiya. When his mother bid him good night he set his alarm and fell asleep on his couch.

* * *

"Amy, I'm home," Lucy called from the open front door.

She shut the door and locked it behind her. Walking through the kitchen she dumped her purse and book bag wearily on the island and shed her sweater. It landed on the nearest barstool as she dug through her purse the Snickers bar from under her wallet and various receipts. With the chocolate in her hand she made her way to the downstairs guest room. Amy looked up as she walked in the door.

"How did it go?"

"They said they 'would not be opposed to revisiting the topic of my tenure in a couple of years.' I'm telling you Amy, I was so mad I thought I was going to lose it in there. So, I handed in my resignation and told them this would be my last semester. They said there was no need to be hasty and that I was a 'valued member of the staff'. I did _not_ tell them about that job offer from City College." She finished her air quote filled rant and fell toward the door frame, letting the house hold her up for the moment.

Amy broke into a huge smile. "Way to go! They don't deserve you. So I guess this means you decided to take the job at City then?" She asked with a cheeky grin.

"Well, I mean, I wasn't sure until my meeting with the board this afternoon. I know that department is mom's legacy, and I really wanted to stay, but let's face it. Mom's never going to know I quit. She's never going to be disappointed that I-" Lucy stopped as her emotions overwhelmed her.

Amy had tears in her eyes as well as she hugged her sister. They were losing their mother and there was nothing they could do about it. Lucy released her sister and walked to her mother's bed. She placed the Snickers bar in the growing pile on the nightstand and leaned down to kiss her mother's cheek. It was soft and warm and smelled like her childhood. Her eyes began to water again as she bid her mother a good night and told her she would check on her later. Sniffing, she turned to Amy and took her by the arm. Together they made their way to the kitchen for a glass of wine. The rest of their evening was spent making plans for Lucy's upcoming job change.

The next morning Lucy awoke to the sunlight streaming through a crack in her blinds. For once she felt well rested and ready for the day. She looked at her phone and noted that her alarm would go off in another forty-two minutes. That meant she had time to enjoy her morning. It was with a small, but bright, smile that Lucy got out of bed to begin her day. She used the extra time to think of a plan for the day. As she sipped her coffee in the chair by her mother's bed she decided she would call her contact at City College and accept their offer, with the few terms and conditions she and Amy had discussed the evening before as they had enjoyed their wine. She would do that after breakfast.

Her morning had begun so well with bacon and eggs with Amy. City College had agreed to her conditions and there was a position waiting for her when the spring semester was began. She and Amy had done a small celebratory dance together in the kitchen when she finished her phone call. She was surprised to find she was looking forward to it, even as she felt like crying for leaving her mother's department. However, her mood soured a little as soon as she walked toward her office and found her boss waiting for her at her office door. He did not look happy.

"What is this I hear about you handing in your resignation?"

"If I'm not getting tenure, then I'm going to go somewhere that appreciates me and the hard work that I do."

He searched her face as realization hit. "You already have a position lined up don't you?"

Lucy lifted her chin and dared him to argue a point for Stanford as she said, "As a matter of fact I do. I accepted their offer this morning, after I was told I would not be considered for tenure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment in ten minutes that I need to prepare for."

"I'm sorry it's come to this Lucy. You really are a fantastic teacher. We'll talk more later, okay?"

"Of course. Have a good day."

Lucy sighed as she sat down her desk to begin her day. She had several students who had made appointments with her to go over their upcoming final research papers. They would fill her time for the next two hours before she would teach her first of her classes that day. After four students she discovered she had time for a short break. She took note of the appointment schedule on the door on her way out and noticed that nearly all the spaces were filled, which meant all of her students would have their midterm assignments soon. She nodded to herself in satisfaction as she locked her office and made her way down the hall.

She made good use of the fifteen minute break to get a cup of coffee from the break room and step out into the fresh air and soak in a bit of sunshine. There was a bit of chill in the fall air and she was looking forward to winter and everything that went with it. With one last deep breath of autumn air she took her empty coffee mug back to her office to await the next student.

The day went by quickly for Lucy. Between classes she had worked with many of her students to match the subject of their papers with a piece of history that would interest them. Her last appointment of the day was scheduled to show up soon. Lucy read up on the woman from the file on her desk. She had too many students to know them all personally. This woman was a non-traditional student, divorced, and majoring in social work. She was a part-time student, but her grades said she was committed to her degree. Lucy hoped she stuck with it. She looked up to the knock on the door frame. A pretty, young woman with blonde hair and bright smile walked into the room. Lucy knew her face.

"Dr. Preston? I'm Jessica Logan. I have an appointment to discuss my midterm."

"Yes, of course. Please come in Jessica."

"You can call me Jess. Nearly everyone does," she offered.

"Alright, Jess. Tell me what eras in American history interest you and we'll see what we can come up with for your paper."

As she talked to Jess she could tell that she would like her as a person and not just as a student. Lucy almost regretted that she was leaving Stanford. She would have liked to strike up a friendship with someone near her age that didn't work for the school. It had been a really long time since she had seen any of her friends for a night out, and even longer since she had made any new friends. She was lonely. Lucy shook herself out of her own thoughts and focused on Jess and finding her the subject that would work best for her.

Two hours later she was perusing the produce section at the grocery store when Amy called her crying. She told her to come home quickly. Lucy left her half full cart and rushed home to find the hospice nurse checking her mother while Amy cried at the end of the bed. When she entered the room Amy grasped her in a tight hug.

"She's fading. She may not last the night," Amy cried into her shoulder.

Lucy could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she held onto her sister for dear life. She did not want to lose her mother. She was not ready. The nurse sympathetically patted her shoulder as she left the room. She would stay at the house until she was no longer needed. The evening passed in silence as the sisters sat on either side of the bed and held one of their mother's hands. At 3:32 am Carol Preston passed away holding both her daughters' hands.

* * *

 **A/N There will be updates soon. I haven't actually written any more of it, but I have notes and ideas galore.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N So, I'm not thrilled with this chapter, but I needed it to get to the good part. Bear with me and things will start to get a little more interesting soon. Without further ado, here it is. UPDATED: To get a few things fixed**

"Logan, wait up!"

The call came from behind him as he walked to his Jeep. Wyatt spotted David Baumgardner heading his way at a fast walk so he paused, waiting for his friend.

"Bam Bam," Wyatt said by way of a greeting.

"Did you hear the news? They're looking for someone to fill a military advisory position at Mason Industries."

"To what? To babysit a bunch of scientists and tell them that their fancy tech isn't going to work?"

"From what I hear it might actually be kind of a hands on gig. They want someone to work with them testing out the equipment and actually giving input on what would be practical in the field. Sounds like a long term position."

"Well then, you better hope you get it. I think Tabitha might actually sell your Mustang the next time you deploy."

"You don't think she would actually go through with it, do you?"

"Jess divorced me, so yeah buddy, I think she might."

David Baumgardner's face paled and he looked sick as he thought about his wife selling the 1967 Mustang he had been restoring for the last few years. It was not that he had put more time and money into the car than anything else. It was not even that he spent more time working on the car than on her projects. Tabitha's main complaint was that it took up the only space in their one car garage, leaving them both to park in the driveway. She hated walking to and from the car in the rain.

Wyatt laughed at his friend's distress and turned to leave. "It could be worse. She could be selling it while you're still here."

"You know what? I think I'm going to go buy her some flowers. I'll see you tomorrow."

Wyatt was still chuckling as he climbed into his Jeep and pulled out of the base parking lot. Once he was on his way he quit smiling altogether and sighed. When he had mentioned Jessica it had been a joke, but now it hurt. He missed her. She was his childhood sweetheart, his escape when everything went sideways. He did not blame her for leaving. She had tried to be a good army wife, but she never got used to his being gone and knowing that while he was gone he was in a war zone. It was easier for her to walk away than live that way. He could not hold that against her because he knew just how much it hurt her to say goodbye.

He maneuvered his Jeep through the evening traffic and made an effort to put Jessica out of his mind. He had more important things to worry about at the moment. He had gotten word earlier in the day that he had been approved to stay in San Francisco for at least the next nine to twelve months. That meant he could take a couple of classes as work on his degree. Then he realized that if he had been approved to stay in San Francisco then he was probably the one they had pegged to babysit the scientists at Mason Industries. _Great. That's just the way I want to spend my time._ He thought as he pulled into his apartment's parking lot.

He made his way into his apartment as he scrolled through his contacts looking for the Chinese place he liked. Once his order was placed he had just enough time for a shower and a scotch before the delivery person arrived with his sesame chicken and eggrolls. He turned on the television and found a cheesy sci-fi movie about time travel to watch while he ate. By the time the heroes had vanquished their enemies and returned home his leftovers were in the refrigerator, his scotch was refilled, and his laptop was in his lap.

He spent the rest of the night looking through City College's website looking for potential classes. He figured he would be able to take no more than two classes in the spring and was trying to find classes he needed to take that fit into his schedule. He narrowed down his options to six different classes. Wyatt wrote them all down before playing a few games of solitaire.

The next morning began with PT and a shower before breakfast. Once he was settled into the office assigned to him he called the registrar's office of City College to set up an appointment to go over his options. It had been a long time since he had actually looked forward to something. An hour later Bam Bam knocked on his door frame and walked in without waiting for an invitation. He sat in one of the hard plastic chairs in the room.

"So, Tabitha now thinks I'm having an affair," he said, ignoring any form of greeting.

"What? Why?"

"Apparently if you buy your wife flowers on a day that is not a holiday, birthday or anniversary then you are guilty of something, and that something is always an affair."

"Did you tell her you were having an affair with a car?"

"You're not funny. It took thirty minutes just to get her to quit crying. She thought I was going to leave her for this woman I'm supposed to be having an affair with. After I had convinced her that I was in fact _not_ having an affair and I was _not_ going to leave her she got really suspicious. It took another hour to convince her that I had not actually done anything other than think of her and wanted to do something to show her how much I love her. I either need to get her flowers more often, or never again. I haven't decided yet."

"Well, was it worth it in the end," Wyatt asked with a grin.

His friend smiled widely as he stood to leave.

"Oh, yeah."

Wyatt laughed as his friend left the room. The rest of his morning progressed uneventfully. It was right after his lunch of leftover Chinese that his phone rang. Major Schaffer wanted to see him. Wyatt had suspected the call would come. He was glad Bam Bam's gossiping skills were as well-honed as they were. He could only guess what the major wanted to talk to him about, but it was he had an educated guess. Luckily Major Schaffer was a man that did not believe in beating around the bush.

"Logan, I've got some good news and some bad news," the officer said as soon as Wyatt entered his office. "The good news is you won't be deploying overseas for the next twelve months. You'll be able to work on that degree. The bad news is that starting tomorrow you'll be assigned as the military liaison and advisor to Mason Industries' engineering team.

"Normally I would say this is nothing but babysitting duty, but they may actually have a few things over there worth the military's time. That's up to you to decide. You'll report to Connor Mason himself in the morning. He'll get you squared away. You're to report your findings to me once a week."

"Yes, sir."

"It's still a bunch of scientists, but look at it this way; they can help you with your homework."

Wyatt smiled at the major's joke and was dismissed back to his work. He texted Bam Bam and congratulated him on the accuracy of his gossip. He spent the rest of his day researching Mason Industries. There was quite a lot of information in the public domain to sift through. When he began to go cross eyed from staring at his computer screen he decided to call it a day. He glanced at the clock on the wall and was surprised to find it was already after seven. _I guess it's true what they say. Time really does fly sometimes._ He thought as he walked out of the building.

He stopped at a small burger place on his way home and got a burger and fries for supper. It struck him as he entered his apartment just how many bad food habits he had acquired since Jessica left. However, since he already had the food in his possession he decided he would eat better the next day. He enjoyed his food with a couple of beers and relaxed with _From Russia, With Love_. By the time the news came on his eyes were truly shot from reading a computer all afternoon and then reading a book all evening. He decided to call it a night.

* * *

"Rufus," Anthony called as soon as he was settled into his chair. "You've got a new project. You know that project to convert the Mason car into something the military can use? Well, Connor has decided it's time to make that happen. He's going to put Jiya and Nicole on some other projects specifically for the military. The army is sending over a military advisor to work with you on what works and what doesn't for military operations and he will report back to the Army. He'll be here later. His name is Master Sergeant Logan. You'll all be working out of the east bay. That way you'll all have room to spread out, and the car can be driven straight into the loading dock for testing later."

"Wait, what about the monorail system I've been working on? And why am I the one stuck explaining everything to the army guy?"

"Connor said you were perfect for the job. Besides, you'll still have Jiya and Nicole to help if you need it. I want you working on any practical applications you can think of for this vehicle. If Master Sergeant Logan has any input on whether something will or won't work with what the military does, take that into consideration. I have every faith that you can get this thing up and working. All of the notes Connor has made are under the file Life Boat. Rather grim don't you think?"

Rufus grimaced. "Yeah, okay. Sure, I can do it. It's not like I have any idea on what I'm doing. I guess I'll just make it up as I go."

Rufus shook his head as he headed toward the bay on the other side of the building. It was a large room with over half of it being empty space. There was a bank of computers near the edge of the open area. Behind it was a glass wall with another row of computers. The rest of the area consisted of a few offices and a conference room. Most of the time Rufus avoided this part of the building. It gave him a creepy vibe. Jiya and Nicole were already there, talking quietly in the conference room. Deciding to ignore the fact that it was Jiya, he walked up to them as confidently as he could.

"So, I have no idea what this project is at all. Y'all want to clue me in?"

Jiya smiled at him and answered. "We were told this morning. I guess Connor really wants to make the military happy. Anthony gave us a list of ideas he wants prototypes for, not to mention the Mason car conversion. Not sure how that one is going to work."

Just then Connor walked in followed by a man in uniform. He was not what Rufus was expecting in a military advisor. Then again, he was not sure if he was expecting someone with a more geeky flair or a meathead. This guy was just an average guy.

"Ah good, you're all here," Connor said. "I'd like to introduce Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan. He will be our new military advisor from the Army. MAster Sergeant Logan, may I introduce Rufus? He'll be working on the transportation part of this venture."

Rufus shook the man's hand. "Hey, man."

"I would also like to introduce you to Jiya and Nicole. They will be working on other projects which may be of interest to the Army."

Both women shook hands with the man as Connor looked on with a small smile. "Well, I think I will leave you all to get yourselves sorted. Oh, and Rufus, a car should be delivered this afternoon for you to tinker with. I'll let you know when it arrives." With that he turned and walked away.

"Well, glad we're so informed," Rufus quipped as the door closed behind his boss. "So, anyone have any ideas where we should start?"

Nicole, a Latina with a chocolate addiction, held up the list Anthony had given them. "I guess we can start with our list. We were thinking we would use the computers up here instead of down in the bay. It's a little creepy down there. There's plenty of room for all of us."

"Yeah, okay." He turned to the silent soldier. "That sound okay with you?"

"Sure. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing so I'll just so along with whatever you want until I'm needed."

"To be honest, I won't even know where _I_ need to start until I read up on what Connor wants. We were all given about ten minutes' warning. If you've got anything you need to get done, go ahead. We can talk things over after lunch."

The man looked relieved at his suggestion. "Actually I do have something I need to take care of. I'll see you after lunch." He nodded to the three of them and walked out of the room.

Rufus looked at the women with a little bit of dread. They looked equally apprehensive. It had been talked about around the office for the last year just how much Connor wanted the military contracts. It had not been said this morning, but they all felt the pressure of performing to the best of their abilities on these new projects. The only problem was that none of them was sure how to go about it. It only took a few minutes to decide who got which computer and get themselves settled into their work.

An hour later Jiya startled everyone when she popped out of her chair. "I can't stand this. It's way too quiet in here. I'm so used to everyone coming and going. We need music."

"Yes!" Nicole agreed. She plugged her phone into the computer and music poured from the speakers. In unison, the three of them sighed and released the unknown tension from their shoulders and began working once more.


	3. Chapter 3 A Short Interlude

**A/N I am so sorry that it has taken this long to get anything written. When your apartment building burns down writing is the last thing you have time for. Not to worry. It is hard, but everything is coming together in real life. So that means I have more time for this Timeless world. As an apology for leaving you hanging here is a tiny interlude. I promise our Time Trio will be back soon, and Lucy and Wyatt will meet sort of.**

* * *

"Garcia Flynn! What on Earth do you think you're doing?"

Flynn froze at the sound of Lorena's voice. "Uhh…" He said, trying to stall for time to figure out what he had done wrong.

His wife smiled even as her voice remained stern. "That is not going to fly today mister. I just mopped this floor. Those shoes better come off before they track mud all over my clean floor. Where did all that come from anyway?"

He smiled as he toed off his sneakers just inside the door. "Your flower garden," he said as he kissed her. "I'll just leave these here for now. Where's Iris?"

"Next door. The girls wanted to play on the trampoline." Lorena smiled at her husband. "While I'm working on supper would you fix the sink in our bathroom? It's leaking again." She kissed his cheek as he groaned.

"You're the boss. You know, one of the days I'm just going to call a plumber," he said as he headed to the garage for his toolbox.

"No you won't," she called to his back. "You like having a domestic nemesis."

He laughed loudly so she could hear him from down the hallway. Honestly, he knew she was right. He did not mind fixing their leaky sink. He loved this house he and Lorena had chosen when they moved to San Francisco. He had loved it instantly and they had made an offer within hours of seeing it. It was perfect for their family, and they got on well with all their neighbors. There were several kids in the neighborhood for Iris to play with and they were in a great school district. As he worked on the sink Garcia thought about how lucky he was to have the life he had.

An hour later he heard his wife call Iris in for supper. It had taken him fifteen minutes to make the pesky sink quit dripping once more. He spent the next forty-five minutes working on reports due in the next couple of days. It looked like he would be going to Eastern Europe the next week if the rumors were true so he wanted everything finished and reviewed. The thought put a scowl on his face as he typed. It would only be for a few days, but he hated leaving his girls.

The aroma of Lorena's spaghetti and Iris' voice beaconed him from his work. As they ate Iris regaled them with tales from her afternoon on the trampoline and lamented that she was the only one who could not do a flip yet. He really did not want her trying to do flips, but it would be hypocritical of him to say anything since he was about her age when he learned to flip on a trampoline. He could tell Lorena was thinking the same thing by the muscle in her jaw clamping her mouth shut. He caught her eye and winked as they shared a smile.

He did the dishes as Lorena helped Iris with her science project. History and English were his domain, but science and math were definitely his wife's. The evening was ordinarily perfect in the Flynn home that evening. Lorena had made him watch a movie once called _The Magic of Ordinary Days_ and at that moment, as he was elbow deep in dish water, he believed the title of that movie described his life perfectly, although he really did not care to watch such a sappy movie again.

It was only after they had put their daughter to bed and she was fast asleep that he mentioned the possible trip. The two of them were sitting on the couch watching the news and he knew he had to give her some warning. He could tell by his wife's silence that she was disappointed. She hated the separations as much as he did. As they readied for bed se was much quieter than normal, and he hated that it was his fault. Once the lights were out and they were in bed she cuddled into his side and spoke quietly.

"I don't want you to go."

It was then that he resolved to speak to his boss about a desk job that kept him home. He would gladly sacrifice the adventure and travel to stay home with his family.

"I love you too," he whispered as they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **I actually love _The Magic of Ordinary Days_. It is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie based on the book by Ann Howard Creel, which I will read one day. If you've never seen it I highly recommend it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N My life is finally starting to look more like normal now that I am mostly moved into a new place. PSA - If you are cooking DO NOT leave your apartment while the burners are still on! It screws up everyone else's lives! GRRR! (deep breath) Anyway, I really thought Wyatt and Lucy were going to meet in this chapter, it even got written. Then I started going over the chapter with a friend and realized I wanted to split up the events in this chapter and "the meeting". Hopefully as my new place comes together I will be able to write more and post quicker.**

Wyatt was glad to be away from Mason Industries for the rest of the morning. It was not because of his new coworkers, or even Mason, it was that he had no idea what was expected of him. That was not a feeling he was comfortable with, no matter the circumstance. He was a soldier; he followed orders, but there was currently no way to follow the orders he had been given. However, he was Delta Force, and Delta Force could adapt. He just needed more information, which he would get later in the day. Granted his freedom, he made his way through mid-morning traffic toward City College. Two and a half hours later he was a registered student for the upcoming spring semester at City College. He would be taking British Literature and Algebra. He heaved a sigh as he pulled out of the parking lot. He was sure he would be ninety before he was a college graduate at the rate he was going.

He found a row of food trucks near Mason, and one of them advertised garden salads. He had promised himself he would eat better after all. With his surprisingly large salad he made his way to a table set up under a tree. Knowing he would not be needed anytime soon, he took his time eating and enjoyed the cool weather and the general feeling of being outdoors. All too soon he was finishing the last bite and heading the rest of the way to Mason Industries. He used his brand new ID to get him through security and retraced his steps from earlier that morning.

He found all three of the project members right where he left them, only now there were food wrappers and drinks scattered across the desks and some kind of funky jazz was coming from one of the computers. Rufus was the first to notice his return.

"Hey, uh?"

"Wyatt's fine."

"Yeah, uh, Wyatt, I think I'm getting an idea of what Connor is wanting. It's going to be a few days before I have anything workable though. Sorry man. But hey, you can scroll Facebook on that computer."

He pointed to the computer to Nicole's left. Wyatt nodded his thanks and made himself comfortable. He logged in with the password issued to him that morning. He checked his email, browsed Facebook, and even did a little research on his professors for his classes next semester. When he ran out of things to interest him online he looked at the clock. He had managed to kill a little less than three hours. He had nothing better to do so he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to doze. He was caught off guard when Jiya hip checked the back of his chair catapulting him forward and waking him.

"Hey, soldier boy, time to go home."

Wyatt rubbed his eyes and looked up at her.

"How long have I been out?"

"About an hour. We're headed to a bar not far from here to wash off this unexpectedly stressful day. Want to come?"

Before he could open his mouth, his phone chimed a text. He was about to tell Jiya yes as he read the message and promptly changed his mind.

"Uh, sorry, something just came up. Next time?"

"Sure," she said as she gathered her bag and left.

Wyatt was slow to follow since he was still staring at his phone. _Need to talk. Meet for a drink? – Jess_

His stomach filled with dread. Jessica only wanted to talk when it was something that he would not like. Despite the lead in his feet he dragged himself out of the building as he sent her a reply with the name and address of a bar closer to her apartment near Stanford than to his home.

As he fought rush hour traffic his anxiety grew. Right after the divorce was finalized they went out to eat together a couple of times a week and talked on the phone often. As time went on they started seeing less of each other, and when they would make time to get together they did nothing but fight. At first it was just little things like who would pay for the meal, but soon it devolved into accusations of not being there from Jessica and being too needy from him. Not that either of them had meant a word of what they said, but they knew each other so well it was easy to find the things that would hurt the most to say. Within eight months of their divorce they had truly fallen out of love enough to let the other go.

Wyatt could practically feel his skin crawling with apprehension. He was not looking forward to another fight with Jessica; he just did not have the energy, even with the short nap he had at Mason. He was so keyed up about a possible argument he could not think of any reason she would actively seek out a meeting. He pulled into the parking lot and immediately spotted her little green Kia. It still had a _Support Our Troops_ ribbon magnet on the back. He shook his head at the sight as he pulled the key from the ignition. He took a deep breath and used it to settle his nerves before exiting his Jeep.

He entered the small bar and was surprised by the younger crowd. He looked around for a few seconds before spotting his ex-wife's blonde hair through all of the college students. He found her sitting at a table near the back on the right underneath a stuffed bison head. She was at a table for two and was sipping a glass of red wine. There was a bottle of his favorite beer sitting across from her. That small act of kindness threw him a little. If she was spoiling for a fight she would not have ordered him a drink. He had just gotten himself under control when she looked up and noticed him. Her smile was not the bright one from when they first got together, and it was not the fake, forced smile from the end of their marriage. It was small and timid. That evening it was his smile that was fake and forced. He worked his way to her and sat down before he followed through on the instinct to turn around and leave.

"Hi."

"Thanks for the beer."

They said simultaneously. He huffed a laugh and waved a hand at her.

"You go ahead. You had something you wanted to tell me?"

Jessica took a large gulp of wine and deliberately placed her glass on the table, watching its progress to the scarred wood surface. She stared at the glass for a long moment before lifting her gaze. The rock in Wyatt's stomach grew exponentially during her silence.

"I wanted to tell you this in person. I thought you deserved to hear it from me first. I didn't want you to see it on Facebook or hear it from someone else," she rambled "I, um, I… Well, Sam, the guy I've been seeing, he, uh, asked me to marry him."

Wyatt felt the world start to spin, and it was not because of the beer he had barely touched. That was the last thing he had been prepared for when he sat down. He knew she was dating, he had seen the Facebook pictures, but he had no idea it was that serious. He knew she expected a response. He followed her lead and took a large swig from the bottle in front of him and watched his hands as he replaced it. He smiled before he ever looked up. He needed her to think he really was pleased for her.

"I'm happy for you Jess. I hope it works out for you this time, that you," he had to stop and clear his throat. "get that little boy you want."

Her smile grew. "Thanks Wyatt. I'm really happy. Sam's a good guy. I think you would like him."

"And thank you, for telling me in person. You're still important to me, Jessica, and I… I'm glad I got to see how happy you are when you share your news." _Just like when it was me._

"You're important to me too," she said softly. "That's why I'd like you to come to the wedding next summer, if you're around."

"Yeah, I should be."

"Great." She finished her wine and stood. "I wish I could stay but I have a huge history paper to start on tonight. And Sam and I are going to call our parents and tell them the news."

"Wait. You haven't told anyone but me?" Disbelief ran through him as he stood as well.

"Well, I just knew someone would tell you if we told them first, and Sam thought you would like to know as soon as possible. Besides, it's only going to be a couple of hours before everyone else knows."

"Wow. Tell Sam thanks for that. I really am happy for you."

She hugged him. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

He smiled as he watched her walk out the door. His smile was gone as soon as she was. Instead of sitting back down, he took his half empty beer bottle and dodged the coeds to make his way to the bar. He found a stool about halfway down the bar and sat down. He was going to be there a while.

Wyatt finished his beer and signaled the bartender and ordered something much stronger. He swallowed the drink quickly and ordered another. That one followed and was refilled just as quickly. He did not realize just how hard it would be for Jessica to get remarried. He had promised until death do us part. It was supposed to be him that always made her happy. That thought surprised him because he truly thought they were better off not married, but he was on his way to drunk and wanting to feel sorry for himself. It really had not been that great of a day. He stayed perched on his stool like a regular until he forgot what time it was, all the while strangely enjoying feeling morose. When he felt sufficiently numb he settled his tab and pulled up his Uber app and got a ride home. He would deal with his Jeep tomorrow.

Once home he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and drank it down with one hand as he made his way to his own liquor cabinet and poured himself another glass. He left the empty water bottle in place of the whiskey bottle and took the bottle and glass to the couch because he fully intended to pass out drunk on his couch. When he could drink no more he laid down and tried to remember all the reasons why he did not want to be married to Jessica. He just hoped his alarm would be enough to wake him up in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N I am so sorry it has taken me this long to get this chapter posted. Real life has been kicking my tail. On top of that this chapter and I have a mutual dislike for each other. I rewrote this chapter three times and finally got to an acceptable version. I'm still not sure I like it, but I don't dislike it either. I think my main dislike is that I want to get to "the meeting". That part is mostly written and I have lots of ideas on how to make it better. I'm not promising anything, but hopefully I will do better getting the next chapter out. And yay! Timeless was uncanceled! That is the best news I've had all year. (It's been a really terrible six months for me.)**

Lucy and Amy had been at the funeral home all morning to finish the arrangements their mother had apparently begun to make just after she found out she was sick. It made Lucy's stomach turn thinking about her mother planning her funeral before she had even started to fight. Amy looked just as ill as Lucy felt. The woman at the funeral home had been very helpful and knowledgeable, but Lucy could not remember her name. She could not remember much of anything at the moment.

Everything was in a fog. She did not know which way was up, much less the next steps they needed to take. She felt just as frozen as she had been when her car went into the water. She was drowning and she needed her mom to save her. She wanted her mother and to just cry in her arms until the hurt went away. That was never going to happen again. Lucy hugged her sister instead as they exited the funeral home into the late autumn sunshine. They cried on each other's shoulders for several minutes. Finally, Amy pulled back and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Lucy made a face and pulled two tissues from her purse and handed one to Amy as she used the other. The two laughed a little as they walked toward the car.

In mutual agreement they skipped lunch after leaving the funeral home, opting instead to go home and begin the process of notifying all their family and friends, as well as all of Carol's work colleagues. Between the two of them it took most of the afternoon to make all the calls. Then there were the emails. They agreed one mass email would suffice for those colleagues that were not close friends, but had worked closely with their mother for many years. However, there were others that deserved a more personal correspondence. For those, the women took turns using Carol's laptop for those emails.

They had decided that in lieu of flowers that people should make donations to the American Cancer Society in Carol's name. They referred everyone they either spoke to or emailed to their mother's obituary on the funeral home's website for any more information that they needed. That obituary had already been written by Carol, with the help of the nameless woman at the funeral home. That thought pushed Lucy over the edge and she dropped her phone on the kitchen table and ran toward the downstairs powder room. Since they had missed lunch and breakfast had consisted of half a cup of coffee there was nothing in her system. Still, her stomach heaved until it was convinced there was nothing left. Lucy sat there on the floor with her face lying on the toilet seat wondering if she had any tears left to cry. She stayed there, mind as empty as her stomach, for quite a while. Finally, she sighed, stood and cleaned up before making her way back to the kitchen table where she had set up shop.

Around six o'clock Amy wandered into the kitchen while talking to Aunt Harry, or Harriet if you were Grandma. Lucy watched as her sister pulled sandwich fixing from the refrigerator with one hand has she held onto the phone with the other. Aunt Harry was a character and they loved her dearly. She was their father's sister and could go on for ages about nonsense if she thought that was what you needed. At their father's funeral, through her own pain, she decided Lucy and Amy needed a distraction. Therefore, she brought up the topic of nipple piercings. Being the outrageous person she was she went on and on about how she would retire and open a shop to pierce anybody anywhere they wanted. She said she would need practice and thought her elderly husband, Uncle George, would be the perfect person on whom to practice. By then the teenaged sisters were in tears of laughter. She had never thanked Aunt Harry for that.

Amy bade her love to Aunt Harry and hung up as she reached for the bread. Lucy ended her call to a historian based in Ohio and made her way to Amy's side. Without a word they each made a sandwich and ate standing at the kitchen island. When every crumb had been eaten and everything had been put away Amy turned to Lucy.

"Aunt Harry said she would be here in the morning. She said she promised Mom she would be here for us. I really hate that Mom did all of this by herself before she had even started chemo. You know, I think I'm going to run a bath and get drunk."

"A bottle of wine in the tub?" They smiled at each other. "I could use a drink myself. Enjoy your bath."

Lucy smiled as Amy made her way up the stairs drinking straight from the bottle she had chosen. She needed a little alcohol therapy herself. She grabbed her own bottle of white wine and a glass and planted herself in front of the television. Her sister may prefer a bath and wine, but she was going to binge watch the first thing Netflix showed her and get drunk while arguing with said show. That was the only reasonable conclusion to one of the worst days of her life.

One hour later saw Lucy using a half-full wine bottle for emphasis as she pointed out to the television everything that was wrong with the program. Her abandoned wine glass sat on the coffee table as she took another swallow straight from the bottle.

"Oh, come on! That is _so_ not what happened. Whoever wrote this definitely never passed a history class. Idiots."

Despite the irritating factual errors the docuseries on famous historical figures, as well as the wine, was doing a great deal to keep her mind from wandering to the empty bedroom on the other side of the kitchen. She had silenced her phone so no condolence calls would neither interrupt her drunken tirade nor wake her up in the morning. Therefore, there was absolutely nothing that would pop up unexpectedly and bring her back to reality.

"Seriously people, those dresses are not even from the correct decade." Another swallow.

She was contemplating going upstairs to make sure Amy had not drowned when she heard the shower start running. The water only ran for a few minutes before shutting off again.

 _Must have been a bubble bath._

"Amy! Wanna come watch a stupid documentary? The next one is about Marconi."

"Pause it! I'll be down in a minute."

Lucy dutifully paused the playback and sipped her wine. It was not long before Amy, looking freshly scrubbed and a bit wobbly, came down the stairs holding her wine in one hand and the bannister in the other. When she made it to the bottom step Lucy place her bottle next to her disused glass and said, "We need popcorn for this."

She went to the pantry and pulled out a bag of microwave popcorn and put in to pop. She grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator while she waited. She placed them on the counter and selected a large bowl for the finished popcorn. She poured the bag into the bowl, only spilling a little bit. She gathered up the bowl and water bottles and clumsily made her way back to the couch where Amy sat drinking from her wine bottle like it was a sippy cup. She plopped down next to Amy and placed their snack between them and leaned forward to place the water on the coffee table before picking up her wine bottle and settling back into the cushions. Amy picked up the remote and started the Marconi episode. The next hour was spent with the two of them eating popcorn and arguing the merits of the show Netflix had chosen for Lucy. Once the narrator had finished butchering, according to Lucy, the biography of the inventor of the radio, the conversation moved to Amy condemning Lucy's taste in entertainment. It was, after all, her Netflix account, therefore, Netflix had chosen the show for _her_. Which meant that Lucy had terrible taste. By the time Lucy conceded the argument that she _might_ need to diversify her viewing habits it had grown quite late. Together they cleaned their mess, throwing away the now empty bottles and picking up the popcorn kernels that always manage to escape. It went unsaid between them that the house needed to be kept tidy because they would be receiving a lot of guests over the next few days. They quietly climbed the stairs together and said goodnight at the top of the stairs. Both women hoped they did not have any early bird callers because they were going to have epic hangovers.

Lucy awoke from a fitful sleep to find Amy's feet pressed into her side. She looked at her sister's sleeping face and sighed. Amy always made her way to Lucy's room whenever she had a rough night. It was still dark and her brain was very foggy so she just pushed her sister's feet back to her side of the bed and fell back to sleep. The next time she woke up the sun was shining brightly through the blinds, at least her aching head thought it was bright. She watched Amy sleep for a minute and enjoyed the peace of the moment. She knew the two of them were going to have a long, stressful week ahead of them, maybe longer.

The several days went by in a blur of faces strange, familiar and beloved. Her mother had been a popular professor and well-respected among her colleagues, as well as a popular author. The condolences were starting to get on her nerves. If Amy's snarls were any indication she was in the same boat. So the two of them invented a drinking game. They kept a running tally of all the sympathies, then, at the end of each day, they would compare their totals before having one drink for every time some well-meaning person said "at least she isn't suffering anymore". Once they had finished drinking their tally they were usually drunk enough to pass out. Lucy would never use that phrase again. True to her word Aunt Harry was there through it all. By the day of the funeral Lucy had a love/hate relationship to Aunt Harry's famous hangover omelet.

After the burial the sisters dodged the crowd at the cemetery and made their way to a convenience store where they had each bought a Snickers bar before heading toward their mothers favorite spot to think. There they had toasted Carol Preston's life with her favorite snack. They sat there until the sun went down enjoying the quiet after being surrounded by so many people and knowing the autumn day had been perfect for saying goodbye.

To regain a sense of normality Lucy returned to work the Monday after the funeral. It helped her to be away from the house. With the semester winding down she was busier than normal. On top of her classes and advising she was also trying to pack up her office. She was assembling another box when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called.

"Dr. Preston?"

Lucy looked up to see Jessica Logan walk through her door. "Jess, what can I do for you?"

"Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all. In fact you may be saving some of my sanity."

"Moving is never fun is it? I hated all the moving when I was married."

"Military?"

"Yeah. When we got here I loved it. It's so different from west Texas. After we got divorced I decided to stay. I don't think I will ever regret that decision." She gave her head a little shake and smile apologetically. "Anyway, I was hoping you could help me understand a few things. I don't understand Bonnie's motivation in staying with Clyde. He wasn't her husband. She had no obligations to him and she had to know that they weren't going to have a happy ending. I don't understand how that has any bearing on history."

Lucy took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. She had often wondered about the doomed love affair. "I don't know. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and ask people why they did what they did. I think if you delve into the psychology of who these people were you'll find the motivations behind their actions, however self-destructive they may be. Love can make people do some strange things."

"That I can understand. I guess getting to the bottom of the thought process is what a social worker needs to learn to do," she said with a smile.

Lucy returned the smile. "There is plenty of material out there on the entire Barrow Gang. I'm sure you'll be able to find what you're looking for. Remember, history isn't just the events, it's the people who made the choices, big and small, that created those events."

"It's about the people. I like that. I think I can work with that. Thank you."

"Any time."

"Dr. Preston, I was sorry to hear about your mother, and that you're leaving. I really enjoy your class."

Lucy smiled sadly. "Thank you."

Jessica rose to leave. At the door she turned back to her teacher. "I'm free tomorrow afternoon if you would like some help packing. It was always nice having someone to talk to when I was packing."

Lucy's heart warmed at the offer. "Thank you that would be nice. My last class is over at three thirty."

"I'll see you then."

As she watched Jessica leave her emotions nearly overcame her. That simple offer of help was exactly what she did not realize she needed. Amy was there but she was dealing with her own grief. She needed someone unaffected by her mother's death. With a deep breath she decided the half assembled box could wait until the next day. She would work on her never-ending pile of paperwork for the rest of the afternoon.

A/N The story about Aunt Harry and the nipple rings is real. My Great Aunt Sueann started saying that kind of stuff at the funeral home during my grandfather's visitation. My cousin and I were laughing so loud we got in trouble. She was in her sixties at the time. Aunt Sue is still quite a character twenty years later.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I am SO, SO sorry that it has taken me this long to get back to this story. Life was really unkind to me in 2017. I hate when so much time passes between updates. There was supposed to be more to this chapter, but I wanted to get something out there for y'all. The rest of this chapter will be in the next one. I also have most of another chapter written in a notebook. I promise I do have the ending planned out and I will not abandon this story. I just may take a while between updates. Please be patient with me and you will get all the awww's you can handle.**

 **I apologize for the numerous errors I am sure that are in this chapter. I read through it, but it is unedited.**

* * *

"Wyatt, are those connections I showed you still plugged in?" Rufus' voice drifted up to Wyatt from beneath a gutted car.

"Yeah, all three. Tell me when you want me to disconnect."

"Give me a few minutes."

"Yep."

Wyatt's first full week at Mason had been rather uneventful with a lot of Facebook browsing. Okay, he was looking through all the pictures Jess had posted of her fiancé while the others were actually doing real work. They made progress quickly though because the next Tuesday found Wyatt and Rufus waist deep in one of Mason's cars so that Rufus could tinker and Wyatt could "help". It was better than napping all day in between scrolling the internet. So he dutifully waited with his upper body cramped under the dash of the car while his legs dangled out the passenger door.

"Alright," Rufus said. "Unplug the middle one and make sure you're not touching it. You know, just in case."

"In case of what?"

"Um, this shorts out and sends an electric current through you. 'Cause that would hurt."

Wyatt shook his head, but did as he was told. "Alright, it's unplugged. Do I have to yell clear?"

He was sure he could hear the other man's eyes roll. "No, just cross your fingers and hope this does something."

"Just not short out."

"Yeah."

Wyatt waited for a full minute before asking the question that demanded asking.

"Anything?"

Instead of answering Rufus just crawled out from under the car and started taking off the coverall that had been protecting his jeans and Star Wars t-shirt. Wyatt moved to follow suit. He grunted as he pushed himself from the car and onto the ground.

"That's all I'm going to try for now. I'm starving and anything else is going to take a while, so why don't we wash up and get the girls and go get some lunch?"

"That is the best plan you've come up with yet."

When they made their way to their computers Nicole was the only one there, typing away on her keyboard. A quick look around told them Jiya was in the conference room with a dozen pieces of technology scattered across the table. Each one had its guts spilling onto the dark wood table. She was sitting at the end of the table putting a jigsaw puzzle of cannibalized technology together. Wyatt had no hope of understanding what she was doing. Before he could comment Rufus spoke up and made the suggestion of a lunch break. The four of them had formed a little squad in the last week and were getting to know each other quite well. Working in an isolated part of the building helped speed up that development.

Since the weather was turning colder they agreed an actual restaurant was better than sitting outside at the food trucks, and they all needed a break away from Mason so take-out was not an option. They all piled in Nicole's Toyota. Once everyone was bundled in, there was a lively debate on which restaurant would be best. The argument was settled when Jiya mentioned the deli with the killer milkshakes, and even though it was cold outside a milkshake sounded like a good treat to everyone. It had been several years since Wyatt had felt the sort of friendship this trio from Mason Industries had offered him. _Probably before Syria_. He thought. Instead of dwelling on how long it had been he let himself enjoy it as they made their way to the chosen deli.

Wyatt took a bite out of sandwich just as Nicole got to the punchline of a joke about her daughter Maria's school play. He choked on the bite of chicken salad sandwich. Jiya tried to spit her drink back into her cup and Rufus was laughing at both the joke and Jiya and had tears in his eyes. Nicole jumped into action grabbing all the napkins to sop up Jiya's mouthful of lemonade.

"I am so sorry! I honestly didn't think it was that funny. I guess I should have made sure no one was taking a drink."

"Nope," Jiya squeaked. "Totally good. I just wasn't expecting a third grader to start dropping the F-bomb."

"I kind of feel bad for his parents." Rufus said while whipping the tears from his eyes even as he started chuckling again. "Now all those judgy rich folk, no offense Nicole, are going to blame them for their kid cussing through the school play."

Wyatt asked, "yeah, but where is a third grader going to learn that word if it isn't from his home, meaning his parents? So, it kind of is their fault. I mean shouldn't a kid that age be saying 'shucks' or something?"

"Shucks?" Rufus' laughter started again. "Where did that come from? When I was that age I'm sure I said worse to make the older kids think I was tough. I bet that kid has an older brother."

Nicole nodded. "Yeah, and he's already been nothing but trouble for the last two years, at least that's the rumor going around the PTA. According to the gossip the boy's already on probation for dealing drugs."

Rufus, being more sensitive to at risk youth, shook his head. "And the poor little brother is a copycat with that kind of brother to copy. That sucks."

"Yep," Jiya replied. "And on that depressing note lunch break is over."

Their mess was thrown away and drinks refilled with various amounts of grumbling. Soon they were hurrying back into Mason to avoid the cold wind blowing. The easy conversation at lunch had shown Wyatt just what he had been missing by spending the majority of his time in the bottom of a bottle. He had not realized how much he not only needed normal social interaction, but he also craved it. Wyatt genuinely liked his new coworkers, but he still felt like a fish out of water around all the tech. It helped that Major Schaffer emailed him a list of the things the military was looking to accomplish with Mason's new toys.

Wyatt spent the rest of the afternoon working with Jiya on one of her projects. It helped a little for him to get hands-on with the prototype. While she explained its functions and how it worked he made notes on what would and would not suit the military. From there they brainstormed different solutions until Jiya had a new working idea. She was taking their prototype apart to make changes while he threw out more ideas to add to their list.

"Hey people!" Nicole yelled from her computer.

Wyatt smiled even as he and Jiya yelled back. He could only assume Rufus had responded as well.

"It's five-seventeen. Let's get out of here. Save some brain juice for tomorrow."

Wyatt looked at Jiya and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Sounds like a great idea," she answered his unspoken question as she stood and moved toward her desk and her bag.

He followed her out of the conference room to gather his things as well. He could see Rufus shedding the coveralls he had donned to protect his clothing. He made quick work of it before joining them to collect his own belongings. They chatted about Nicole's plan to take her daughter to the zoo that weekend.

"Elephants," Rufus said. "You have to see the elephants."

"I like the meerkats. They are the cutest." Jiya argued.

"No," Wyatt threw in. "The alligators and turtles are the best. It's almost like going back in time and seeing dinosaurs."

Rufus looked at him with a frown. "It's a bit too cold for reptiles. They won't be too active if they're out."

"You're right. Go see the snakes. They're inside."

"No! I am _not_ taking my child anywhere near a snake. She is terrified of them. That is not a fight I want to have in public. I don't know where she gets it. My brother and I had a ball python growing up. Loved that guy."

They walked out into the cold, dark evening as her three coworkers stared at her.

"What?"

"Nothing." Three replies answered her.

They all said a quick goodbye and hurried to their vehicles. Wyatt noticed that Rufus did not even stick around to stammer at Jiya. When he got home that evening he made himself a nice pan of Hamburger Helper and contemplated the fact that he was actually making friends that were not in the Army. He loved Dave like family but this felt different, like these friendships were meant to be. Wyatt spent the rest of the evening cleaning his apartment before calling a night. It was not until he had already turned out the light and gotten comfortable that he realized he never once thought about Jess that evening and he had not had a drink. Maybe things were turning a corner in his life.

* * *

 _To Nicole, Rufus - Did you guys notice Wyatt start to loosen up today? –Jiya_

 _Nicole – Yeah. So what are we gonna do about it?_

 _Rufus – It's Mason tradition. Get him drunk._

 _Jiya – I'm game. Just no tequila. Remember the last new guy?_

 _Nicole – The one that didn't last? What was his name?_

 _Jiya – Too much tequila, don't remember. And I ended up on someone's roof missing a shoe. I liked those shoes._

 _Rufus – How about that place over by that furniture store?_

 _Nicole – No way! I swear I contracted Hepatitis just walking thru the door. I vote the place downtown with the bottles over the door._

 _Jiya – Make him think we're classy. I like it. Rufus plant the idea tomorrow. Nic n I will reinforce._

 _Rufus – Sounds good. Ttly_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Sorry, no Time Team meetings yet, but this chapter does set up a meeting for the chapter. Again, this has not been edited so please read with a kind heart. There are so many questions and speculations! I will tell you there is no time machine. I'm of the opinion that Rittenhouse is the force behind Mason creating it in the first place.**

* * *

Rufus had not realized just how much he wanted the Master Sergeant for a friend. The man had actually grown on him and it turned out they had enough in common for them to companionable coworkers and could actually become friends. He guessed Jiya and Nicole felt the same way if they were plotting his alcoholic demise. Now that they had a way to cement him into their ranks Rufus felt much better. Wyatt seemed like the type of guy that would be able to help him with his little Jiya problem, and he was willing to admit, just to himself, that he did indeed have a problem. He sighed as he settled into bed. He had planning to do.

The next morning was warmer, but Rufus could definitely tell it was still winter. He was huddled into his jacket walking across the parking lot when he heard his name. Turning around he saw Wyatt heading his way in a brisk walk. He waited for the soldier to catch up before resuming his walk toward security.

"What's up man? "

"I was thinking about working with Jiya on that prototype this morning, and I have my weekly update with Major Schaffer this afternoon. I think Jiya's idea has a lot of potential. Are you okay having the car to yourself?"

Actually, that sounds good. I think I need to go back to the drawing board anyway."

The men dropped their conversation when they reached the security station. By the time they were through Rufus' mind was already deep into the car's electrical schematics. It did not occur to him to bring up drinks on Friday until he was well into the morning. However, as soon as he thought about it he dismissed it for later. He was making progress with his new idea. At some point B.B. King began blaring through one of the computers, but Rufus barely noticed. It wasn't until there was a loud silence in his ears that he looked up.

Nicole laughed. "That got his attention. What do you want for lunch?"

"Uhh…"

"So, Jiya and I are thinking chicken. And there is a food truck that has fabulous handmade chicken tenders and French fries. Plus, we can text our order and just go pick it up, no waiting in the cold. Want in on this?"

"Sure. I'll set up a table and chairs in the bay if one of y'all will go get it."

With that their order was texted, money was given to Jiya, and Rufus was off to raid one of the offices in this unused section for a table and chairs. He ended up recruiting Nicole to help him move the table. He was carrying the forth chair when he realized Wyatt had already left for the day.

"Crap."

"What," Nicole looked up from the wires she was splicing.

"I forgot to mention Friday drinks to Wyatt."

"Jiya noticed that you were a little distracted this morning so she did your job. Now you get to be the reinforcement next week."

"Next week?"

"Yeah, he's got something with his Army buddies this weekend. So it looks like it will just be us this weekend."

Before she could say more Jiya came in juggling a drink tray and three boxes of food. They began separating their food and poking straws into drinks before their conversation resumed. They decided to leave table and chairs and made plans to make it a little homier. So far their new space had acquired a string of Christmas lights hanging from the wall dividing the office spaces and the computer banks, three fake plants (stolen from other areas), various pictures, an entire army of Storm Troopers, and four plush dinosaurs, one for each of them. The schematics for the car hung on the wall behind Rufus' computer. There was usually music of some genre playing through one of the computers, depending on who got to it first. Overall, they had made a home out of the creepy east bay in less than two whole weeks. They were all a little proud of their new space.

* * *

Lucy was tired before lunch. She had not slept well. She kept waking up to check on her mother. It had been two weeks but she could still feel her mother's presence in the house. Maybe she always would. She had already had two classes and still had one more. Then she had four appointments with students before she would even have time to look at the stack of half assembled boxes in the corner. She smiled when she remembered Jess' off of help as she trudged to her next class.

She had said goodbye to her last student and was in desperate need of caffeine. She opened her door on her coffee run and nearly ran over Jess in the process.

"I'm so sorry! I guess I need coffee more than I realized."

Jess laughed and held up two cups of coffee from the cafeteria. "Then I guess it's a good thing I brought these. Mocha with an extra shot of espresso."

"Oh! If I were the type of teacher to be bribed, this would do it. Thank you."

"I think you need a little break. Why don't you grab your coat and we can freeze while we get some fresh air with our caffeine."

"I don't think I've had fresh air all day. My sister Amy said she would stop by around for to help. I can't believe I'm leaving. To be honest I never even imagined leaving this department. You know, my mother built it up to the prestige it has today."

"I know that feeling. I felt the same when I left my husband. It was scary and so, so sad. I never wanted to leave him. I just couldn't live with the Army. For the longest time it felt like I had cut a part of myself out my body. There were days I could barely breathe because I missed him so much. But it got easier and easier. Then one day I looked up and there was Sam, and he made me happy. And now I'm planning a summer wedding."

Lucy smiled at Jess' beaming face. "I know I keep saying it, but thank you. I think I may need a friend more than I need help packing."

"Aw. San Francisco can be pretty lonely huh? I could use a new friend. Maybe after you are officially no longer my teacher we can go out for drinks and I can introduce you to Sam."

"That actually sounds like something to look forward to besides moving all of my stuff across the city and unpacking it."

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm freezing and kind of want to get to work just to warm up."

"Me too. What is with this weather? It's California. Isn't it supposed to be warm?"

"Nope. That's a myth."

The women made their way back to Lucy's office and were pleasantly surprised to find Amy waiting the hall. Lucy made quick work of the introductions and noticed Jess and Amy were confirmed friends before Lucy had unlocked the door. Amy insisted on music to motivate her and Jess insisted on a new band she had heard the weekend before. The three of them worked well together and within an hour they had cleared a nearly half of Lucy's shelves and had a tidy pile of boxes lining an empty wall. While they worked the sisters decided Jess had terrible taste in music and Jess took Lucy's side on the topic of Amy's blog. However, she had agreed with Amy on martial arts being a great way to stay in shape. By five o'clock Amy and Jess had made plans to go out the next night and blow off a little steam, and Amy had promised to drag Lucy along.

The sisters bade Jess goodbye before gathering their belongings. Amy said she would go to the store and pick up a few things for supper. Lucy decided a hot shower would do a lot to ease the aches and fatigue weighing her down. She hugged Amy before they parted ways at the building's entrance. Lucy pondered her afternoon as she fought rush hour traffic. It turned out she and Amy both had a lot in common with Jess. She could honestly say to herself that they could be good friends. She gave a little prayer of thanks for her new friend, even as she cursed the red Honda that cut her off.

By the time Lucy made it home she was barely able to form coherent thoughts. She dumped her purse on the island before making her way up the stairs, shedding her coat as she went. By the time she made it to her room she was halfway out of her sweater. She left a careless trail of clothes all the way to the bathroom. The hot water of the shower only succeeded in driving the exhaustion to the next level. Once dry Lucy drug her flannel pajamas on in an effort to stay warm before collapsing on her bed with a groan. She snuggled under her covers telling herself she would get up when Amy got home.

Lucy awoke to faint light shining illuminating the room. For several moments she was utterly confused. She was waiting on Amy to get home from the store. After a few minutes it occurred to her to look at the clock. It was 6:42 AM. She was stunned. She had slept for nearly twelve hours straight. Once the shock wore off her body made it clear just how long she had slept. After that was taken care of Lucy decided she was in no hurry to get out of her pajamas so she made her way downstairs to see if there were any leftovers of whatever Amy made the night before.

 _You were out cold when I got home. Didn't want to bother you. Leftover minestrone in the fridge. Love, Amy._

Lucy smiled at the heart and smiley face filled note on the island. Still a little groggy she started the coffee pot and heated up the minestrone. She decided she was a grown-up and could whatever she wanted for breakfast and judging people could just judge because her sister was a good cook and she was not going to pass up leftovers. She did decide that the coffee could wait until she had finished her meal. By the time she had finished her second cup she felt more human and ready to face the day, and apparently a night of drinking with Amy and Jess.


	8. Chapter 8 Another Interlude

**A/N I know I said this next chapter would have a Time Team meeting, but I realized that we haven't seen the Flynn family in a while. So, here is another little interlude to catch up with our favorite not-so-bad-guy. Re-uploaded because the site was giving me fits about this update.**

* * *

Garcia opened the door as quietly as possible. He had been luck and was able to catch an earlier flight from Washington, therefore, he was able to get home before Iris' bedtime. It hit him immediately. The smell of drying blood was too ingrained in his mind to ever forget. Forgetting stealth he turned on every light in the kitchen and saw quite a bit of blood puddled near the sink. Heart thudding in his chest he followed the grisly trail to the kitchen table. There was another puddle there.

"Lorena! Iris! I'm home!" He began to panic as he searched his home for any sign of his family.

He pulled out his phone and called his wife. He heard her phone ringing in the bedroom. He rushed back to the room, but found it empty as well. Her phone was lying in its spot on the nightstand. He was nearing a panic attack when he dialed his daughter's phone.

"Hey Daddy. Where are you?"

Garcia breathed deeply and released some of the adrenaline rushing through his body. Iris sounded okay. Making an effort to control his voice he answered her. "I'm at home. I thought I would surprise you." But I believe I'm the one getting the surprise today.

"We're at the hospital. Duke jumped on Mama while she was chopping stuff for supper. She cut her hand really bad. It was bleeding everywhere! I had to go get Mrs. Fran next door. She drove us. Mama's getting stitches now."

"I see." Thinking on his very tired feet he came up with a plan. "How about we surprise Mama?"

"Okay. How?"

"How about you pretend we haven't talked, and when you get home Mama will be surprised to see me? You can tell Mrs. Fran that I'm here and I will have supper ready when you get here. That sound good?"

"Mama will be really surprised if supper is ready when we get there. Duke needs his supper too."

He smiled into the phone. "I'll get Duke his supper too. I love you. Go tell Mrs. Fran I'm here and I will see you when you get home."

"Love you too."

Garcia had paced the blood trail the entire time he spoke to Iris. His heart was still pounding with fear, but it was slowing. He began chuckling as he made his way to the cleaning supplies. If he knew anything it was how to get blood stains out of the flooring. The hardwood floors would take a little extra work, but he was confident he would be finished before Francis Bouchard delivered his family home. He set about the task of cleaning the floor with the background noise of a shaggy mutt of a shelter dog whining at the back door.

"You'll come in when I'm done cleaning up the damage you caused." He muttered to the dog. He was not feeling too kind toward the animal at the moment.

Once the floor was once again respectable he looked over the counters to see if he could figure out what Lorena had been cooking. He shook his head as he wiped up more blood before grabbing another knife and finished chopping the squash. There was a recipe out for a casserole, so he decided that he would just continue with that. He planned on packing some up for their elderly neighbor who was spending her evening at the hospital with his family. He pulled together the ingredients to make a salad when his girls got home. Only after that was done did he dish up some dog food and let his delinquent dog in the house. The dog greeted him so enthusiastically that he forgave the mutt almost immediately.

"I'm going soft," He muttered into Duke's fur.

He was dishing up part of the casserole for his neighbors when he got a text from Iris. They were heading home. He put the salad together and added some of that to the Bouchard's dinner. He did not set the table, because he fully intended to serve his wife supper on the couch. He sent a message back to his daughter making sure she got Francis to come in the house so he could give her the food, and for him to thank her in person. He shook his head at the thumbs up emoji. He did not have long to wait before a car was pulling into the drive. He made his way to the door ready to open it for the ladies.

He barely had time to open the door before he had his arms full of his little girl that was too big for his liking. He looked up to see the stunned expression on Lorena's face and the knowing smile of his neighbor. He transferred Iris to his back and made his way to his wife. He kissed her gently and ushered her into the house before he addressed the other woman.

"Francis, thank you for taking care of my girls."

"I don't mind. Makes me feel useful," she waved him off.

"Well, I appreciate you giving up your evening. I have some casserole and salad for you and Jim for tonight. Let me go get it and you can feed that husband of yours."

She smiled at him. "Well, he does like to eat. Thank you. It smells wonderful."

"I followed Lorena's recipe, some kind of squash casserole. You'll have to talk to her if it's terrible," he joked before handing over the dishes.

He kissed her cheek and sent her on her way, glad to have his family to himself. He was exhausted from the jet lag. He yawned as he dished up a plate for Lorena and grabbed a bottle of water. As he had predicted she was on the couch with her cut hand propped on the back cushions. He handed her the plate and water. He repeated the process for his daughter, who was sprawled on the floor playing with Duke.

"Iris, leave the dog alone and eat your supper."

He placed her plate on the coffee table before making one more trip for his own plate. Once he was settled in his chair he continued.

"How many stitches?"

"Sixteen." Lorena held up her hand to show the bandage along the top of her left hand. "I'm sorry we scared you. I was planning on cleaning it all once we were home tonight."

Garcia was not shocked to know she knew how terrified he had been. He smiled at her, even as he yawned again. She laughed at him and insisted he take a shower and get ready for bed while she oversaw Iris cleaning the kitchen. He kissed both of his girls before he did what his wife told him. He decided tomorrow was soon enough to tell her that he had been approved to stay in San Francisco from now on. He would never again be required to travel outside the country. He fell asleep with a smile on his face. It was good to be home.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N I may have squealed like a little girl when I saw the preview for the new season. I can barely wait! This chapter gave me fits because it seems like filler to me. I tried my best but I still don't like it that much. I wrote most of another chapter tonight and I'm loving that part. Please hang in there a little longer and we'll get to the meat of this story.**

* * *

Friday morning was bright and clear as Wyatt headed toward his car after PT with his unit. He was headed home for a quick shower and a bite to eat before making his way to Mason, his head already filling up with ideas on how to help Jiya and Nicole with the new prototypes they were building. It amazed him how quickly he had become accustomed to working on the science side of things. Just as he was about to examine his newfound inner scientist Bam Bam yelled his name.

"We still on for tonight?" Wyatt asked as his friend caught up to him.

"Actually, no. Thought I would try to catch you early so you wouldn't be planning on coming by tonight. Macie had a really high fever last night. Tabitha is taking her to the doctor today, but I'm guessing by Monday Monica will have whatever it is too. So, no party for Monica. We're going to try again next week."

"She's one. She doesn't care about a birthday party. But I'll bring the beer next week."

"No beer. Tabitha has gone on a health kick and she thinks beer makes her fat."

"So, just a six pack of your beer then. Got it," Wyatt laughed at Dave's nod and cheeky smile.

"We're shooting for Saturday about five. I'll throw some steaks on the grill and we can freeze while standing around the grill like real men, and you can tell me all about Mason."

"There's not much to tell, but I'll see what I can come up with. I'll see you next week."

Even after his chat with Bam Bam and a longer than expected shower he still arrived at Mason before the others. It really was a bit creepy in the east bay, especially alone, so it was his choice of music this morning, country, and Rufus could suck it. He noticed the table and chairs down in the unused area and decided the old tiki torches that Jess had bought in the hopes of having a yard would liven up the area. He made a note on his phone to bring them Monday and then logged onto Facebook. He had just realized how big a mistake that was when Rufus came wandering into the computer area.

"Country? Really?"

Wyatt laughed. "I picked it just for you. Are you still planning on going out tonight? My plans fell through"

"Oh?" Nicole asked from the doorway. "And what plans were those, a hot date?"

"Yeah, with a one year old. My buddy was having a party for their little girl, but her older sister is sick now. So, the party has been postponed until next week."

"She's one. What does she care?"

"That's what I said."

By the time Jiya was settled it was decided that the scientists' original plans were back on and absolutely no tequila would be involved. The day progressed with Rufus and Nicole typing away on their computers while Wyatt and Jiya brainstormed while assembling and dissembling the prototype to fit their evolving plans. Rufus made the food truck run for a large pizza. Wyatt found the vending machines and bought the requested drinks and they all made themselves comfortable at their new lunch table. The tiki torches went over well and for the rest of lunch they discussed different ways to keep them standing that would not look trashy. In the end they decided to steal more fake plants and plant them in the pots. The rest of the day was a carbon copy of the morning. At five o'clock they all made plans to meet downtown at eight before heading for the door.

"Don't worry if I'm a little late," Wyatt announced as they left the building. "I've got a couple of errands to run and I'm not sure how long I'll be."

"We'll keep the beer cold," Rufus replied as he got into his car.

* * *

Lucy's day had gone smoothly and she could only thank the incredible amount of sleep the night before. Amy had stopped by at lunchtime to tease her about falling asleep so early, and to also remind her that they were going out that night because they deserved it. It had actually made Lucy really happy to see her sister. She had left a note on the island before she left that morning thanking her for the leftovers and praising her wonderful culinary skills. After Amy left Lucy had one last class for the week and she planned to skip out a little early if she could manage it. As soon as she finished her class she began hauling a few of the boxes to her car. It took some creativity but she managed to get most of the boxes into her car and she decided they could stay there until her hangover was gone tomorrow. They were planning on taking an Uber that night anyway.

Amy was already home when she walked into the house so Lucy glammed up her makeup a bit before checking with Amy to see what she was wearing before picking her own outfit. Within an hour and a half the sisters were waiting on their ride. It was still a little early when they arrived so they were not expecting Jess to be there yet. It was a nice place decorated with bottles over the door and hanging lights made out of different colored bottles hanging over the bar. They decided to grab seats at the bar until Jess arrived and started their tabs with a glass of red wine. They were people watching and making up silly conversations and situations for all of the patrons within their view. They had only been there about ten minutes and were deep into a "conversation" between two muscled up men when Jess walked in the door.

She spotted them easily and made her way over. They greeted each other before calling getting Jess her own glass of wine and claiming a table in the middle of the room and their night out began. They told Jess of their little game at the bar before Amy regaled them with tales of her little martial arts students so that by the time their second glasses were empty they were in high spirits. Lucy volunteered to get the next round as she wiped tears from her eyes. She made her way through the crowd to the bar and took a place next to a long haired young woman. The woman smiled in greeting and gestured to her face.

"Your, uh, mascara is a bit runny."

"Oh! Thanks." She wiped at her eyes. "Did I get it?"

"Yeah, you're good."

"I'm not crying in my beer or anything. It's just that my sister was telling a really funny story. Well, maybe it's not that funny, but it feels like it has been a really long time since I've had a good laugh."

Lucy cringed as she stopped babbling to a perfect stranger, even as kind as she seemed.

"Oh, I get it. I'm Jiya. I'm here with some people from work, blowing of some steam."

"Lucy. Amy, my sister decided we deserved some fun and decided to invite a new friend to join us."

Just then a nice looking black man joined them and ignored Lucy to focus solely on Jiya. "So, Jiya, I, uh, I was wanting to ask you something. I was, you know, just wandering if…"

"Jiya?" Lucy interrupted what was becoming a painfully awkward come-on. "I think your drinks are ready."

"Great! Lucy, this is Rufus, one of my coworkers. Rufus this is Lucy. We just met."

The man finally turned to Lucy and gave her a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you Lucy. I just came to help Jiya carry the drinks back. And," he turned to Jiya. "Wyatt just got here so we need another glass."

"Well, our drinks are ready. Rufus, Jiya have a good night."

"You too." Jiya called.

Lucy returned to the table just as Jess sat back down. Her face wiped out Lucy's good humor at Rufus' horrible attempt to ask out Jiya.

"Jess, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting to run into my ex tonight. I saw him and he saw me so I just went to say hi, and it was a bit awkward. The last time I saw him I told him I was getting remarried and he thought I was here with Sam."

"Then you definitely need this!" Lucy said as she placed the next round of drinks on the table. "And to cheer you up let me tell you about this horrible attempt at a pick-up I just heard."

Lucy's retelling of the events at the bar got the ladies back on track to the fun they were seeking. Two hours later they ordered a plate of cheese fries to go with their house specials. Lucy was not exactly sure what it was but it tasted great and had quite a kick, and it went well with the fries. Jiya stopped by their table about halfway into the plate of food. Lucy introduced her and waited for Amy's lack of tact to kick in as Jiya explained she was just stopping by after a bathroom break.

"So," Amy looked to Jiya. "Lucy told us about the attempted pick-up. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

"Amy," Jess giggled. "I don't think you should ask a total stranger that kind of thing."

Jiya laughed. "I wish he would just spit it out so can tell him yes. Oh man, I would love to go out with Rufus. He's smart and funny and we actually have all kinds of geekdoms in common." She sighed sadly. "We would be so good together."

The women gave her all the right kinds of drunken support and advice before shooing her back to her friends. They all wished her luck and told her to just ask him out.

"Poor girl," Lucy sighed. "I hope she asks him out. He really looked smitten."

"Smitten?" Amy snorted. "Since when do we say smitten in this century?"

Jess laughed. "She's busting out the old school words. I think it's time to call this night a win and get the Ubers on their way.

Lucy opened her mouth to reply but her sister recognized the beginning of a history lecture. "Yup. Totally time to call it a night. I'm gonna go settle up, Luce. You get the ride coming."

An hour later Lucy was freshly showered and snuggled in her bed. She smiled as she closed her eyes. She thought of Jiya and hoped she and Rufus got together. She did not know why, but she felt a connection to them and really hoped they ran into each other again someday. She thought about how much enjoyable it had been to get to know Jess and learn about her fiancé. It had been a fun evening and she decided she would not regret it, even when she woke up incredibly hungover.


	10. Chapter 10

The night was getting late and they were all a little drunk, but Rufus could tell everyone was really enjoying themselves. He was even drunk enough that his embarrassment over messing things up with Jiya were minimal at the moment. He had no doubt full mortification would come when he sobered up. Monday was going to be awkward, and that brought something to mind.

"So, Wyatt, who was the hot blonde? Did you get her number? 'Cause that look like one super awkward conversation."

Wyatt choked on his beer. "The 'hot blonde' is my ex-wife, and yes I have her number."

It was Rufus' turn to choke a little. The girls were crowing with laughter and demanding details. All he could do was silently agree while trying to expel beer from his lungs.

Nicole was the first to speak. "No! What's her name? When did you break up? Why was she here?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Jiya interrupted and looked at Wyatt. "Those three questions are a good place to start, then I have like a gazillion questions."

Rufus almost felt bad for the man. He knew what it felt like to go against those two women and their curiosity. He waved over their waitress and ordered the soldier a whiskey.

"I'm not bailing you out, man. I wanna know too. There's _so_ much I want to know."

The waitress delivered the beverage, which was immediately slammed back. Wyatt stared at the table for a second before he started to speak. He was talking so quietly Rufus had a hard time hearing him.

"Her name is Jessica. We've been divorced for about two years. She said she's here with some new friends from college. We've known each other since we were kids. She's getting remarried this summer."

Rufus felt bad for the man. It was clear the break up still hurt. He decided to give him a break from the girls.

"I'm going to let you off the hook for now, but I've gotta know. Does she have buck teeth or something? I mean why else would you not introduce us?"

Wyatt laughed and the melancholy was broken. "No, man, I wanted her to have a good time tonight. Couldn't have your ugly mug scaring her off, now could I?"

Rufus smiled as he took another sip of his beer. Jiya and Nicole were wiping tears of laughter from their eyes and he was proud of himself. Wyatt was now a part of their band of merry people and he would remain so, even once the army decided they did not need him at Mason any longer, and Rufus hoped that day was a long way down the road. The scientific developments they could make with his military input boggled his inebriated mind. When he resurfaced from his musings the other three had moved on to a debate about time travel. It took another pitcher of beer to come to a stalemate on the subject. It was getting close to one before they all pulled out their phones to arrange rides home. Rufus and Nicole actually lived in the same neighborhood so they decided to share a taxi and left the other two when their ride arrived first.

When Rufus awoke the next morning with a hangover and one pant leg still on, he knew he needed to make the next night out a short one. At least there was no tequila. He mentally thanked Jiya's insistence as he made his way to the bathroom. Freshly showered and with painkillers beginning to work he dug his phone from his pants pocket and was surprised to see an email from Wyatt. He was even more surprised to see it was sent several hours earlier and was about the car. Even he could not deal with schematics at ten AM on a Saturday morning before coffee, with a hangover no less. He considered texting him about working on the weekend after going out, but then he opened the email. It was clear the man was drunk when he wrote it, but there were actually enough good ideas that Rufus' brain was starting to forget coffee was a requirement, and that it was Saturday. By the time the coffee maker was finished his laptop was at the table and ready to go.

Monday morning Rufus dragged his weary body into work and straight to the coffee maker Mason had installed in their main conference room.

He mumbled, "I hate you," to Wyatt as he passed. His coworkers watched him curiously as he made his third cup of caffeine of the morning and slumped down in his chair with relief.

"What did I do?"

"You sent a drunken email to me rambling on and on about the things you would fix on cars with your granddad. Then, you started talking about the guys in the motor pool you knew when you were stationed overseas. Then, you went on a rant about all the things that would break down because of the sand. _That_ got me to thinking and I may have made a breakthrough on the car. _But_ it took nearly all weekend to hash it all out."

"Sorry? I don't remember sending you any emails."

"Dude, I could smell the booze through the screen. I'm more surprised you were able to see the keyboard to type all that than I am that you don't remember. You had some good ideas. In fact, Nicole, I'm going to send it to you too. I think you might be able to use some of Wyatt's drunken wisdom."

She laughed. "Sure. Let's see what Soldier Boy here's got."

Five minutes later Rufus watched as she began typing furiously on her computer. He turned to Wyatt.

"You should have sent her that email too. She could have pulled an all-nighter while hungover too, only to stay up until literally passing out on her couch with the laptop still on at some time after four."

"No wonder you look like crap. Why don't you take a nap on the couch in the conference room? We'll cover for you."

"Uh, what couch?"

"The one the girls and I moved in there before you got here. There's a waiting room type area that had all this comfy furniture in it, and it's not like we're using that room, so we rearranged some and brought in the couch and two chairs. I've gotta say, this place is starting to feel more cozy and less creepy all the time."

"I know what you mean. I think I'll upload all this new data I've got and then go take that nap."

The conference room was way more comfortable with the large table pushed to one end of the room to make a place for the gray couch and two matching chairs. Rufus knew that there was a coffee table to match that would probably end up in there before the week was out. The little sitting nook was just perfect for a nap.

* * *

The Preston sisters had ignored Thanksgiving, but there was no way Aunt Harry was letting them skip Christmas. So two days before Christmas they loaded up the presents they had bought on a four hour Amazon spree and the cookies and ham, and made their way to Barstow. They were going to stay until the twenty-sixth. It was loud and distracting and just what they both needed. However, Lucy was fed up with the holidays. Four days with Aunt Harry and her family had frayed her nerves. After the long drive home the empty house had driven home the fact that this was their first Christmas without their mother. Amy spent the next week with friends and out of the house as much as possible. Lucy on the other hand had been stuck in it, going through all the boxes from her office deciding what she was talking with her to City College and what she was leaving in her home office. By the time New Year's Eve arrived Lucy was antsy. So, she dressed up and headed to the bar Jess had introduced her to before the holidays. They had been announcing a big party for the night.

She fought her way through the crowd to the bar. Normally crowds made her antsy, but after a week spent in a large empty house, she relished the push and shove of so many people and the overly loud music. She lucked out and a seat opened up at the bar just as she got there. She ordered a shot of tequila and downed it before the bartender could walk away. She downed her second shot as quickly as the first and ordered yet another to drink more slowly.

"Careful ma'am, you might want to pace yourself. You're not as young as you used to be."

Lucy looked toward the smooth voice that was rudely trying to interrupt her good riddance to the year. The voice belonged to a pair of blue eyes that belonged to a face that sat underneath a military haircut. The man was about her age, so she was more than somewhat annoyed that he was calling her ma'am. She took a swallow of her drink and summoned her best professor voice.

"Screw you."

In the crowded bar she expected him to quickly move on to another target. However, he turned more fully toward her and let his gaze slowly travel from her head to her toes. He smiled a lazy smile and took another sip of his beverage of choice.

Then he spoke, "I'm game."

She nearly choked on her next shot as her brain registered his reply. He was certainly good looking, but she was not sure if that made his comment any less offensive, or if she wanted to go with it. Everything combined in her mind: the alcohol, the grief, the desire for relief, and the need to forget. All of it made resisting temptation an impossibility.

"Seriously, I thought I was too old," she said with a hint of mischief in her voice. Tonight, she was going to go with it.

"At least I know you're legal, ma'am."

Lucy scowled. "You know, we're about the same age. You don't have to call me ma'am."

"But you're cute when you get all riled up."

"You know what? Fine. Let's go."

She dug in her purse for enough cash to cover her drinks and a large tip as she enjoyed the stunned expression that crossed his face. It was good to know she could surprise someone occasionally. He recovered quickly enough and dug his wallet out to settle his tab. Soon they were in a cab heading to his place, and she still did not know his name. Tonight, she did not want to know. This was her Good Riddance to a Terrible Year party and tonight she was not going to let herself get in the way. By the time they arrived at his apartment building he was wearing more of her lipstick than she was. It was 11:57 when he unlocked the door. They were already kissing again when the new year arrived.

Lucy awoke to a heartbeat under her ear. She froze before she remembered the previous evening. _No, no, no, no, no, no._ She could not believe she had gotten drunk enough that going home with a stranger had seemed like a good idea. She heard the heartbeat speed up and knew her human pillow was awake. She prayed he would be the type of guy that would pretend to stay asleep. Carefully, she inched her way out of the bed. It was easy enough to find most of her clothes in the darkened room but she could not find her underwear. She decided she could live without them and grabbed her shoes. Just as she got to the door she saw her companion at the bedroom door.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Lucy smiled softly. "Thank you. But I don't want to worry my sister. If she sees I'm not there in the morning she'll panic, and I can't do that to her. We've gone through enough this year."

Lucy stopped before she could start crying. This man didn't need that.

He nodded and smiled. "I'm Wyatt by the way."

She laughed. "Lucy."

"Be careful getting home Lucy."

She nodded as she walked out the door. She was crying by the time she got to the elevator. She had never wanted to stay somewhere and escape that place at the same time before, but she was already regretting walking out the door. The elevator chimed its arrival and Lucy made her way down to the foyer to wait for her Uber.


	11. Chapter 11

Wyatt took a deep breath as the door closed quietly. The most beautiful woman he had met in a good long while had knocked his socks off, almost literally, and then just walked out his door. He had no idea what to do with that knowledge. He almost wanted to go after her and drag her back to bed just so they could wake up hungover and he could fix her breakfast. He _really_ wanted to have breakfast with her, but he just could not make his feet move. Once he figured she was good as gone he turned back toward his bedroom; it was still the middle of the night after all. He stopped at the door and scowled at the bed before turning around and flinging himself onto the couch. His entire room smelled like her perfume. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch to cover himself and buried his head in the throw pillow and let his mind drift back over the evening.

It had been spectacular. The only part he regretted was not catching her, _Lucy's,_ last name, or maybe even her phone number. As the evening replayed in his mind he slowly drifted back to sleep. He woke several hours later with a headache and a crick in his neck. It took him a moment to remember what would have caused such ailments. When he did he groaned into the pillow. It took him several more minutes to get moving, and it was only his insistent bladder that got him off the couch. While in the bathroom he grabbed the painkillers out of the cabinet and took two before brushing his teeth. From there he made his way back to the bedroom and stripped the sheets from the bed. The rest of the he day was spent lounging around in his sweats watching bowl games and eating cold pizza. His healthy eating could take the day off as well. During the commercials his mind would wander to Lucy. Did she really have a sister, or was that an excuse? She almost started crying about her rough time. What could be so bad as to bring her to tears? Were her eyes a deep chocolate brown in the sunlight, or were they lighter? During the third quarter of the Independence Bowl he realized just how pathetic his thoughts had become and grabbed his laptop from its home on the desk. By the time football, poor dietary intake and spider solitaire had worn him out enough to sleep it was getting late. It was only as he stumbled through his nightly ablutions he remembered he never remade his bed. He grabbed his phone charger and set the alarm on his phone. He was going to spend another night on the couch and, for the life of him, could not bring himself to care at that moment.

The next day was Tuesday so it was back to work, and he was glad for it. He was hoping for a little routine for the next couple of weeks to even out the hectic holiday season before he officially became a college student. Jiya had transitioned to the coding only side of the current projects and left the tinkering and building the smaller prototypes to Nicole while Rufus was still trying to militarize an electric car. Wyatt found his place by bouncing between Rufus and Nicole helping where needed, throwing out ideas, and making sure everything would live through heavy military usage. Over the next two weeks he got to know his coworkers better and came to the conclusion that they were becoming true friends, not the kind of friends you just sent a Christmas card to but the kind you invited to your kids' birthday parties. He was okay with that. Time spent with them and Dave after work helped him to finally leave his divorce in the past and quit drinking himself to sleep. His newest preferred method to fall asleep became remembering Lucy's smile just before she slipped out his door in the very early hours of New Year's Day.

Wyatt's first day, or night of class saw him on the Ocean Campus attending his British literature class on Monday nights for three hours. His algebra class would be Tuesdays and Thursdays first thing in the morning. He was a little nervous, seeing as he was a non-traditional student, but he was also very excited for the beginning of something new. It was shortly before six o'clock and he was walking across campus when he saw a slight brunette woman walking toward where he knew the staff parking to be. _Lucy?_ He could not tell for certain in the dim light, and she was bundled up against the winter evening, but his gut was telling him that the woman briskly walking away from him was his unforgettable New Year's date. For reasons he refused to examine he just could not think of her as a hook up.

He took a deep breath and made his way toward his class laughing to himself. At least now he was no longer nervous about being the oldest person in the room. He did groan when he realized that, while he was not the oldest student, he was definitely in the minority. It made him wonder just how bad it was going to be when he showed up to his algebra class in the morning wearing his uniform. He had worked it out with Major Schaffer and Mason. He would start his day with PT on base before making his way to Ocean Campus for class which would get him to Mason by ten, barring any traffic issues.

By Tuesday afternoon Wyatt was rethinking his brilliant idea to become a college graduate. His morning had started off with Dave making snide remarks about all the study group fun he was going to have with all the co-eds in his classes. Then there were a few of those co-eds in his class that tried to make his remarks look tame. After class he swore he was hallucinating because he thought he saw Lucy again. Once he got to Mason it was Rufus' turn to rib him about his fictional, future study groups.

For once they were all on the computer deck as it had come to be called. They had all been there since lunch and no one seemed inclined to work without talking for once. Unfortunately, the topic of the day was Wyatt's new college career.

Nicole rescued him, sort of, when she said, "Don't worry Wyatt, I'm used to helping a child with homework. I'll help you out so you don't have to worry about all those scary college girls."

Jiya started cackling behind her computer. "I think she just called you a child."

Wyatt scowled. "I think you're right. Doesn't mean I'm not going to take her up on it though."

"You're a single guy in a uniform. Girls will fall all over themselves to help you study." Rufus even used air quotes.

"That's true," Jiya put in. "But I wouldn't trust them to actually be of any help. Besides, Wyatt doesn't need a sorority girl. He needs someone with a little fight in her."

"I know someone who would be perfect for you," Nicole supplied.

Wyatt's stomach turned a little at dating someone that was not Lucy. Then he reprimanded himself. It had been nearly three weeks. He needed to get over it. But how could he when he was driving himself crazy seeing her everywhere on campus?

"I'll get back to you on that Nicole. For now, I just want to pass these two classes and figure out whatever it is Rufus just sent me.

Thankfully, everyone decided to actually focus on their work which let him relax into the strangeness that was working with scientists. The soft classical music playing in the background was nearly enough to lull him to sleep, but Rufus had taught him how to use a program on his computer that would test certain features of the car. He spent the rest of the afternoon finding different ways to break the car. Each time he would send the results to Rufus, he would chuckle when there was a soft curse before more furious clicking on the keyboard. Silence reigned for quite a while after that.

"Oh!" Jiya said loudly, causing everyone to jump.

"What is wrong with you? Scaring us like that." Rufus scolded.

"Sorry. I just had a great idea. We need to celebrate Wyatt's first week of school this weekend."

Nicole clapped her hands. "Yes! That is a brilliant idea. Same place as last time? I liked the vibes that place had."

"Well, I'm gonna need a drink or two after this week. I'm down."

The last remaining minutes of the day were spent planning their Friday night excursion with everyone agreeing that they would make it an earlier night than last time. As they packed up their things and made their way to the parking lot Jiya put a moratorium on all hard liquor.

"I'm not suffering through another Saturday like the last time."

* * *

Thursday morning was a bit smoother for Lucy. She was beginning to get a feel for this new campus and the different type of student that attended City College as compared to Stanford. She was walking to her office after the weekly departmental meeting. She was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome she received from her colleagues. That had never been the case for her. It had always been political maneuvering and backbiting. It was a nice change, especially if it lasted.

Halfway to her office a handsome soldier caught her eye. He was walking toward the student parking, so she only saw his profile but he seemed familiar to her. Soldiers in campus were nothing unusual. Many active duty military used their GI Bill to take a class or two when they were able. So it was not the oddity of a soldier in uniform she was drawn to, but his face. She knew that face, if only she could remember where she had seen it. She shook off the strange case of déjà vu, convinced she would remember eventually if it was important enough. The rest of the day she kept seeing the soldier's face in her mind, convinced she knew him. She made it home before Amy so she changed into a pair of jeans before heading to the kitchen.

She was chopping carrots for the beef stew she had been craving when Amy got home. Her sister looked at the counter and assessed the situation before getting a knife from the drawer and began peeling the potatoes. The two worked with few words until the stew was on the stove. Amy left Lucy alone with the radio as she went upstairs to settle in for the evening. She came back downstairs a few minutes pulling her hair into a pony tail.

"What's up with you? You've been a million miles away since I got home."

Lucy sighed. "I think I'm going crazy. There was this soldier on campus this morning. I didn't get a good look at him, but he was really hot, and I could swear that I know him. But I can't for the life of me figure out where, or if I'm imagining it."

Amy grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator and herded Lucy to the couch before handing her a bottle. "Do you know any military guys that have decided to go back to school?"

"Other than our cousin? No. Besides, he lives in Virginia, and is definitely not good looking. This guy is about my age… oh my word! I know who he is."

"Well?"

"Remember me telling you about New Year's?"

"You're very uncharacteristic one night stand? Yeah. Wait, that's him? Are you sure?"

"Eighty two percent? I thought he had military hair, and he was fit, like he worked out."

Amy let Lucy sit in her stunned silence while she checked the stew. Lucy had thought about the man who had made her New Year's bearable. Despite his rudeness in the bar he had been kindness itself and she still had no idea if leaving was the right idea. She wondered what he was doing on her campus. Was he visiting someone, or was he a student? She was slightly relieved that he had not shown up in any of her classes. The strong smell of stew roused her from her surprise to see Amy holding a full bowl under her nose with a smirk.

"Figured it would take a little extra to bring you around. You ready to eat yet, or do you need a few more minutes to rehash every minute detail?"

She reached for the bowl. "Let's eat."

They ate in silence for a few minutes with just the radio playing in the kitchen.

"By the way," Lucy said. "We're going out tomorrow. I need a few drinks."


End file.
